As a FTM, you hear many stories of people's experiences, which is either nice or scary but remember everyone has a different experience. My son was due October 9 and once I hit the third trimester of pregnancy I became more excited, anxious etc. at about 36 week I began having Braxton hicks, and they'd come and go, well at 37 weeks I began having contractions , 7 minutes apart for over an hour, went to the hospital late at night and was sent home because I wasn't dilating , I was still concerned because something just didn't feel right... I felt shined off because I'm a new mom, so nurses kept saying oh it's normal you don't have to come in every time.. At my 38 wk check up, I was 70% effaced 1cm, I went home and began having really strong contractions, and bleeding , not spotting , bleeding... I text my on, she told me to go in the next day , I did, contractions were stronger she check me I was 100% effaced dilated to 2, but wasn't enough for me to go to the hospital , I walked around for an hour as instructed and they just got so bad I went as directed but got sent home... Midnight came and I was nervous to say anything because I kept hearing I was trying to force the baby out , for my MIL and my SO, so I didn't want to bug, till finally I just got to the point where I can barely talk or breathe... Woke up my SO, went to the hospital, my water broke an hour later, I could handle the contractions till I hit 5cm, I caved and got an epidural, I just couldn't take it, my baby wasn't dropping and I was in pain, it got to the point where I  it a high fever and became tachycardic (high heart rate) my baby became in distress,  a few hours passed my fever kept spiking the baby couldn't handle it I began developing an infection because he was stuck for so long so finally they called for an emergency c section... 12:20 AM 9/27/15 6.15lbs 20.5 My Son came into this world...